Gold coin found in Salvation Army kettle in Goodyear

A valuable gold coin was dropped anonymously into a Salvation Army kettle in Goodyear.

It was a Christmas gift that wasn't noticed by the bell ringer and not discovered until the kettles were emptied and the money counted.

Capt. Arlene Torres of the Salvation Army Estrella Mountain Corps on Monday said she will entertain offers on the coin after it is appraised, and she wanted to use media coverage of the donation to plea for volunteers and donations.

The Krugerrand was wrapped in a dollar bill. The gold coin is in mint condition with not a scratch or smudge on it.

"We researched it last night and they're worth like $1,445. Look at that. That's beautiful," Torres said as she carefully unwrapped the South African coin.

If the value of the coin holds up after the Salvation Army gets it appraised by two sources, then its value would be equal to what 20 bell ringers collect in a day in the Southwest Valley.

"It (donation) was made on our volunteer day, so it's worth a lot more because everybody who was out on Saturday was a volunteer," Torres said.

The gold coin was donated at a Goodyear Safeway at Van Buren Street and Estrella Parkway.

"The person who was ringing the kettle does not even remember seeing it dropped," Torres said of the donation. "They wrapped it so there's no way anyone could see it. If we could get one of these every day next week, we could make our budget."

When the counters tally up the donations, they typically pour all the coins into a counting machine, but the Krugerrand was noticed and therefore undamaged.

The Salvation Army divisional headquarters instructed Torres to get two appraisals for the coin and then sell it to the highest bidder.

All the money collected by the Salvation Army in the Southwest Valley stays in the Southwest Valley, so Torres said that the office will entertain offers for the coin that meet or exceed its value. The money would be used to help or feed those less fortunate in the Southwest Valley.